I've been reading the story on the local news station's site all day - a bunch of teenagers got two rooms together and had a huge party, which (of course) got out of hand before one thing led to another and someone pulled out an illegal-to-own-in-Maryland semi-auto and started shooting. (More info: http://www.wbaltv.co...239/detail.html )

It's not something the hotel had any power over, and while it's scary, it's not something that's likely to happen to people staying in the hotel at Otakon. (Unless you're hanging out with that kind of crowd.)

Bottom line, if you're going to have a big rowdy party in your hotel room, think twice (at some of the con hotels, parties aren't allowed at all). And if you're going to have any kind of party at all, be sure you know who's going to be there and who is there.

I've been reading the story on the local news station's site all day - a bunch of teenagers got two rooms together and had a huge party, which (of course) got out of hand before one thing led to another and someone pulled out an illegal-to-own-in-Maryland semi-auto and started shooting. (More info: http://www.wbaltv.co...239/detail.html )

It's not something the hotel had any power over, and while it's scary, it's not something that's likely to happen to people staying in the hotel at Otakon. (Unless you're hanging out with that kind of crowd.)

Bottom line, if you're going to have a big rowdy party in your hotel room, think twice (at some of the con hotels, parties aren't allowed at all). And if you're going to have any kind of party at all, be sure you know who's going to be there and who is there.

**staff mode on**

Oh yeah. I didn't really think anyone at Otakon would be in a big shoot-em-up party, I just figured it was something that might be of interest. Bunch of teenagers? With Uzis? Man, and I thought I was a tough guy in high school. Not compared to guys these days, geez louise.

You'd be surprised. Last year's Nekocon had a stabbing in the host hotel. And apparently, there was another stabbing at this year's Katsucon.

Be careful about who you room with, kids. While you may be nice enough to give a complete stranger some floor space for the weekend, s/he may not be a very good guest. Only room with people you know, and if they want to bring someone you don't know on board, get to know them beforehand.

You should also write up a list of "guidelines" so your roommates will know what to expect of you and vice versa.

You'd be surprised. Last year's Nekocon had a stabbing in the host hotel. And apparently, there was another stabbing at this year's Katsucon.

Be careful about who you room with, kids. While you may be nice enough to give a complete stranger some floor space for the weekend, s/he may not be a very good guest. Only room with people you know, and if they want to bring someone you don't know on board, get to know them beforehand.

You should also write up a list of "guidelines" so your roommates will know what to expect of you and vice versa.

That sounds so ridiculous, I've never got that. Hearing stories like "yeah, this guy really wanted a room, so we let him stay with us". One, sounds like a bum, and two, like you said, more or less, it's a pretty stupid idea to share with someone you have no idea who they are. I don't know, its always been me and my freinds; we go, not to let some bum we don't know hang around with us, its time for us to hang out. I've never understood that.

You'd be surprised. Last year's Nekocon had a stabbing in the host hotel. And apparently, there was another stabbing at this year's Katsucon.

Be careful about who you room with, kids. While you may be nice enough to give a complete stranger some floor space for the weekend, s/he may not be a very good guest. Only room with people you know, and if they want to bring someone you don't know on board, get to know them beforehand.

You should also write up a list of "guidelines" so your roommates will know what to expect of you and vice versa.

Wait, what? There was a stabbing at Katsu? I never heard about this. O_o

@Otaku Ru: That's okay; I'm pretty much staying with the same people next year, so it's all good. XD

You'd be surprised. Last year's Nekocon had a stabbing in the host hotel. And apparently, there was another stabbing at this year's Katsucon.

Be careful about who you room with, kids. While you may be nice enough to give a complete stranger some floor space for the weekend, s/he may not be a very good guest. Only room with people you know, and if they want to bring someone you don't know on board, get to know them beforehand.

You should also write up a list of "guidelines" so your roommates will know what to expect of you and vice versa.

Wait, what? There was a stabbing at Katsu? I never heard about this. O_o

@Otaku Ru: That's okay; I'm pretty much staying with the same people next year, so it's all good. XD

I never heard of a stabbing at Katsucon 15 either.

To be on topic, at least I need to know more about my roommates before I actually room with them.

That sounds so ridiculous, I've never got that. Hearing stories like "yeah, this guy really wanted a room, so we let him stay with us". One, sounds like a bum, and two, like you said, more or less, it's a pretty stupid idea to share with someone you have no idea who they are. I don't know, its always been me and my freinds; we go, not to let some bum we don't know hang around with us, its time for us to hang out. I've never understood that.

I've done it on occasion, but the crashers usually either pay me a share of the room or buys the room pizza. Usually, it's a friend of a friend that wants to sleep with a bit more breathing room or to give the friend and his/her partner some alone time. My room is usually a Grand Central Station of visitors anyway because I know so many people and they want to hang out and/or need me to repair their costumes.

Sometimes, it's a friend that is hanging out with me and passes out on my bed or the floor and I don't have the heart to wake them up.

But if it's someone I don't know that's "really desperate" for a room and the only payment offered is their "eternal love and gratitude"... Yeah, GTFO my internets. Get your act together and then we'll talk.

As for the Katsucon stabbing, apparently it wasn't con-related. It just happened to occur in the Hyatt. My roommates were trying to find someone that had a room key. (I was in the ball at the time, so my cell service was going in and out.) They finally got a hold of a key holder, who was trying to get to them to give them a room key. Said key holder saw that the 2nd and 3rd floors were blocked off and found out from one of the police officers that someone was stabbed. (They ended up ninja-ing their way upstairs via the emergency exit to give the friends a room key.)

As for the Katsucon stabbing, apparently it wasn't con-related. It just happened to occur in the Hyatt. My roommates were trying to find someone that had a room key. (I was in the ball at the time, so my cell service was going in and out.) They finally got a hold of a key holder, who was trying to get to them to give them a room key. Said key holder saw that the 2nd and 3rd floors were blocked off and found out from one of the police officers that someone was stabbed. (They ended up ninja-ing their way upstairs via the emergency exit to give the friends a room key.)

I stayed at the Sheraton the first year that Otakon was held in Baltimore, and was really disappointed that it wasn't available as a con hotel for all those years after that. I really enjoyed my stay, and didn't have a bad word to say about them. Hopefully this will not make the Sheraton a non-con hotel again.

Sadly, the knife; which is of man kinds oldest tools; is now thought of as a weapon first, and not a tool. Opening a 4 inch bladed folding knife; I get comments like "whoa, look out" or "he has a folding sword." That knife, or a similar one, has been in my pocket for 20 years and never used to attack anyone. Some radicals with box cutters ruin it for all of us.

I stayed at the Sheraton the first year that Otakon was held in Baltimore, and was really disappointed that it wasn't available as a con hotel for all those years after that. I really enjoyed my stay, and didn't have a bad word to say about them. Hopefully this will not make the Sheraton a non-con hotel again.

This is actually something that happened at the City Center Sheraton (it used to be the Wyndham), not the Sheraton Inner Harbor (the one next door to the BCC/across the street from the Hyatt).

With the amount of people that act like idiots at otakon, I'm surprised nothing like this has happened yet. But then again, what you do in your hotel and outside the bcc is your rap now, I just let nature sort you out now. Just don'tput bullet holes in my room wall, I like to get my deposit back at the end of the stay